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We are hoping to stop in the Cape Cod area in the future, for a few days on our way to Maine. From all that I have read, it sounds like Nantucket has the atmosphere we are looking for: quaint old small New England village, looking much as it did a couple hundred years ago. However, I think we are looking for something a little less pricey and a little more accessible to the rest of Cape Cod. We would love to stay somewhere that does not require getting in a car to go out to eat or to go to the beach. Asking too much? Any ideas?

Well, Cape Cod is really not on the way to Maine but I suppose that you know that. Nantucket, of course, is more than a village, it's an island and not part of the Cape. Perhaps you know that also but it's not clear from your post.

Are you driving? If so from where and when will you be going? Do you want a hotel, cottage, B&B? Not that easy on the Cape to stay within walking distance of both beaches and restaurants and shopping.

If you are only staying for a couple of days you might like Falmouth or the Sandwich area. Further down the Cape is Chatham.

mamajuls: You can indeed get here from there...In fact, we're traveling from the Cape to Maine next weekend and I think we've decided to drive rather than sail or fly, so it is indeed possible.

Come to Chatham. It is quintessential Cape Cod. Everyone who has visited Chatham loves it; it's close enough (middle of the Cape) to the National Seashore but far enough away from the route 28 mess that is still lined with uncharming t-shirt shops and candy stores selling last summer's taffy.

It isn't cheap, (nothing is 'cheap' here in season....nothing.) but it's lovely and may be less expensive than staying on Nantucket (another gorgeous place. you can take a high speed ferry out of Harwichport to Nantucket for a great day trip and not have to travel all the way to Hyannis to get the boat).

Do you have kids? (I don't want to make any assumptions about who's in your group).

If they're 12 years old and over, you might enjoy The Bradford Inn on Cross St., close enough to Main St. restaurants and a pleasant walk to the children's beach at Oyster Pond or the now fully protected (as it should be) Lighthouse Beach. If your kids are younger than 12, please consider staying at The Wayside Inn on Main Street. Both properties have pools.

If you're still up for a splurge, please take a look at Chatham Bars Inn, a gorgeous property that was recently voted "one of the TOP TEN Best Family Beach resorts in the United States and Caribbean". There's a travelzoo offer on until July 21st that does a beautiful job of describing this resort's amenities.

I vote for Sandwich too. It is still pretty quaint, small and has some great beaches.

You can rent a bike on 6A by the stop and shop and ride the trail along the canal. Very pretty. There is a nice board walk in town (by board is there, LOL look for it: Susan, Caitlin John.

Heritage Plantation is totally quaint with the most beautiful grounds, art, old car museum, old windmill, some sort of military museum, a few traveling exhibits and an antique carousel that you can ride on over and over again with the cost of admission.

Sandwich also has the glass museum, the town grist mill (take a drink out of the town spring while there, the water makes you younger), have tea at the Dunbar Tea House and hit Sandy Neck for a day at the beach (best at low tilde check a tidal chart).